Thaumaturge
by Zemorah
Summary: As the lands of Middle Earth are threatened by the growing power of Sauron, a Fellowship must be formed to destroy his source of power, The One Ring once and for all. A young alchemist from Mordor will be forced to join them on their journey, as they will go through friendship, moments of joy, but also failure and despair. (Will include most or all characters from both universes).


**Disclaimer:  
The Lord of The Rings, books: written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published by George Allen & Unwin (UK) in 1954.  
Fullmetal Alchemist, manga: written by Hiromu Arakawa and published by Enix (2001-2003) en Square Enix (2003-2010), in Monthly Shōnen Gangan.**

 **I am not even slightly familiar with the usage of Sindarin or Black Speech, so forgive me when you spot mistakes.**

* * *

It was late in the evening as the young man leaned forward to the edge of the path, minding not to fall down the cliff. It was one of the only places in this over-elegant city of the fair folk that was, though still close by the centre, away from most important buildings, and not decorated with symbols and overgrown by plants. He held in his hand a cup filled with some Elven drink that was merrily pushed onto him. It seemed the Elves were insisted upon hospitality, even though he himself had specifically requested them not to. "Damned Elves," he muttered into the cold air. He shivered.  
"Master Elric, such language is most definitely unnecessary." It was Elrond, Master of Rivendell, who spoke sternly but a shimmer amusement was easily detected by those who knew him. Edward Elric huffed, annoyed by the sudden appearance of the Half-Elf, but otherwise ignored the man. Elrond, as well, spoke no more, and stood still, joining the young alchemist in the early night, watching the sky as the stars became more and more bright. "We have a story," said the elder, after a timespan of at least twenty minutes of utter silence, "speaking of a wise man, loved by all, who made a decision he thought to be just, but resulted in nothing but his trust being broken and being abandoned by his most beloved and lord."  
"I know it," said Edward. "But was his choice the right one, or did he regret it after realizing what it had cost him?"  
"He might or mightn't. We know not." The golden-haired alchemist sighed, feeling irritated by Elrond's answer. "I would ask why you brought it up, but it has either got to do with tomorrow's meeting or you won't give a straight answer to begin with. Both are useless, so I won't ask." Elrond did not respond. "Why are they so late, anyway," Edward continued. "Those Dwarves are already here."  
"Do not be so impatient, Master Elric."  
"Yeah, yeah. It is not like this is important and highly dangerous or similar."  
"Could it be, you're worried?"  
"Am not," Edward hissed, as if the thought alone was offensive to him. "I just want to go back. Soon."  
Again, the duo stood in silence. Edward excused himself and left for his guest-room. A small, hurrying creature ran into him, so Edward instinctively kicked whatever it was that had seemingly attacked.  
"Ow!" came a cry, but no counter was initiated. "How terribly rude, mister. I do most certainly apologize for barging into you like that, but attempting to harm me goes a bit far, do you not agree?"  
"Oh," said Edward. "You're a hobbit."  
The figure massaged his legs for a bit, before standing up straight, looking the young alchemist straight into his eyes. Much to Edward's delight, the hobbit was (naturally) shorter than him. "Sorry," he said. "Reflexes kicked in. Are you all right?"  
"Oh, yes, I am fine. Do not worry about it, mister. I must be more careful around here." Edward shrugged. He himself had bumped into more than one Elf since his arrival in Rivendell, Edward was not annoyed enough to blame the hobbit too much. He had already kicked him, so he had had his revenge. "Why were you running around, anyway?" Because the alchemist may have not been angry, curious he was always.  
"Oh, you see. Ah. I am not sure if I may speak about this, Master…?"  
"Elric. Edward Elric. Ed's fine, though. You?"  
"Master Elric, then. The name's Samwise Gamgee. About the matter at hand, I am uncertain whether or not I should speak about it."  
Edward rolled his eyes and grunted. "You must be a friend of Gandalf's, all right."  
"Pardon me?"  
"Both of you are damned secretive."  
Sam was taken aback by the harsh tone and didn't reply. Edward continued. "You are with the injured hobbit," he stated. "I know about it, so I guess it'll be fine if you speak."  
"Right," said Sam, looking uncomfortable under the stare of the golden eyes of the boy. "Well, he woke up."  
"He did, didn't he? I saw him at the banquet talking to the Dwarf. Good for you guys. I'm glad he's better."  
"Yes, so are we." And Edward believed him. Sam looked more relieved than he had deemed physically possible. It was astonishing, really, the loyalty that radiated of Sam. It reminded Edward of Alphonse… and how he had left him behind in Resembool. He twitched. "Master Elric?"  
"Ed. Call me Ed. Let me at least convince you to do so." Samwise Gamgee didn't really seem to like it, but his desire to be kind and open to anyone won over his ever-politeness. "Very well… Ed." Edward threw his fist in the air in excitement and made a jump. Sam was at first surprised and then got a look of shock on his face. "May I ask your age?"  
"Huh?" Ed turned to look at him. "I'm fifteen, why?"  
Sam gaped at him. "Oh no! No! I judged you way over that!"  
"You did?" Ed smiled, thinking it was because of his height that he appeared older. But that (obviously) was not it. Sam had had no idea what Edward was. His eyes and hair were much too bright for him to be a Man (even though poor Samwise Gamgee had not met too many people other than hobbits in his life, so who was he to know?), too short to be Elven and too tall to be a strange kind of hobbit. It would now seem, so thought Sam, that Edward was, after all, Man. (And that his height was below average). But for that man, who seemed so much wiser and more tormented than most people Sam had met, to be a mere child, was not even possible in the hobbit's wild imagination.  
So, whilst Edward Elric was still beaming in whatever fantasy he was having at the moment, Samwise Gamgee shot a very brief look of sympathy at the boy, knowing that it wouldn't be seen by the other, in a silent sign of disfigured and awkward respect.  
They quickly exchanged good-byes after that and left for their respectable rooms. The hobbit felt a warm feeling, down his back, and he knew it wouldn't be last time they met.

The next day it was way too early for the young man when he was woken by an amused Gandalf. "Shut the curtains, old man... " the teen grumbled sleepily, as he tried to crawl right back under the sheets.  
"Oh, no, no. We cannot be late, Ed. The meeting is already about to start." At that Edward shot right up out his bed, paused as he waited for the dizziness to cease, before rushing into the bathroom, all whilst completely ignoring the Wizard, while Gandalf merrily chatted about what a beautiful day it was and how energetic young teenagers surprisingly were when in a hurry. When Edward finally deemed himself decent enough to present himself to the court, he exited the bathroom, where he also had gotten dressed, and growled at the happy man.  
"You should have woken me earlier, bastard."  
Gandalf laughed. "But that would have spared me watching your moment of panic. I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Gandalf and Ed hadn't seen each other after being separated before, and the alchemist's mood turned sober. Ed mumbled something under his breath. "I heard… about Saruman."  
Gandalf's form turned grim. "Yes. His heart was darkened by the forces of Mordor."  
Edward knew of Saruman, the White Wizard, his past and felt personally betrayed when he heard how he had turned against them. The alchemist had never met the Wizard, but loved the grand stories and legends of the powerful and once honourable man. " _Sharku, mor funda ungol..._ " he hissed in anger.  
Gandalf began filled with anger and worry. "Be quiet, have we not drawn enough attention." Ed huffed, realizing his mistake. "You worry too much. Rivendell is far from falling."  
"We cannot be careless."  
"Fine."  
Gandalf calmed down and held out his arm. Ed gave it a shove. "Let us go." The Wizard spoke.  
The alchemist groaned. "Meetings are only fun for old men like you."  
In the large circle, Man gathered amongst Dwarves, alongside the Elves, accompanied by a group of hobbits. They all turned to look at the two newly arrived figures, some whispering about Ed's appearance. Luckily for them, none had yet to mention his height. Glóin, son of Gróin stood, his mighty axe at his front. The elder Dwarf had seen much in his life. He had journeyed to the Lonely Mountains, fought bravely and reclaimed their homeland. Beside the legend of a man sat Gimli, his prideful son.  
"We are worried," the man spoke with powerful tone. "Yes, I can say we are." Soft mumbles were exchanged amongst the Men, but they were quickly silenced by a look of Elrond's. Edward, who sat between the Wizard and Men leaned forward, resting his head on his palm, his elbows on his knees in interest. The Dwarf continued. "Balin, our trusted friend, an honourable man, left months ago to re-establish our kingdom in the Mines of Moria. It is sad that we have yet heard news from them. However, we seem to have found our reason." The last of the whispers toned down. "A messenger from Mordor came to our halls!"  
Once again those who were present started talking, but this time not only the Men. Not excited mumbles, or questioning ones, these voices were angry and worried. Edward glanced sideways to Strider and noticed little to no reaction. As expected of the man.  
But he wasn't the only one who remained silent. Elrond had not moved, Gandalf had not even bothered to listen, it seemed. They probably had already known. They should have told him as well, thought the alchemist, even though he knew he had had no right to be informed about matters like that in the first place, before Glóin himself would have made the announcement, of course. To distract himself, Ed looked at the hobbits and snorted. The group looked like lost children, thrown into a company of businessmen.  
"The messenger had a strange tale to tell. He offered the Dwarves an alliances, even new Rings of Power, all if we were able to give them information about a certain hobbit."  
Now everyone turned to look, not just Edward. The Halflings looked extremely uncomfortable under the stares, but did not avert their gazes.  
Elrond raised his hand, everyone immediately calming down at the stern looks the Elves gave them. The Master of Rivendell explained to those present about the Rings, forced by the Elves, about how Sauron was able to create the One Ring, made to rule all others. Elrond told the story of the mighty battle where the Man Isildur cut the Ring for the Lord of the Earth. He turned grim, being reminded how the Man had not destroyed the Ring there and then when he had had the change. How he regretted not having lunched at the man, forcefully taken the Ring from him. But Elrond, too, had feared its power and had naïvely hoped that it would not turn for the worst. He continued after his moment of silence to explain the loss of the Ring in the Anduin River, where Isildur perished. When he talked about the Men of Gondor, a warrior of Man stood up and Elrond allowed him to speak.  
The man, Boromir, spoke with a loud, deep and clear voice. Edward was taken aback by the confidence and authority his aura seemed to give off. "Our people in Minas Tirith, great city of Gondor, have noticed as well the change from Mordor. They have begun to expand, causing loss after loss for our men. This gathering will bring hope, I've seen the signs. Lately, dreams have been plaguing my mind. Dreams of the Sword that was Broken, Isildur's Bane," he nodded to Elrond, who he knew to be in the possession of the sword, then turned his head sharply at the hobbits, "and a Halfling."  
Strider stepped forward, Boromir politely silenced himself and sat back down. "I may help you, leader of Man. For I might be able to explain your dreams." He stood straight. "My friends, I have not been honest with you all. Most of you know me as Strider, but it is far from who I am. I am Aragorn, heir and direct descendant of Isildur, keeper of Elendil's broken sword. The Halfling you dream of stands right there, Frodo Baggins, barer of Isildur's Bane: the One Ring of Sauron himself."  
When the hobbit heard his name being called, he walked forward. He stretched out his arm and let an object fall onto the plateau. "The One Ring..." breathed Boromir. A dead-like silence fell down on the meeting.  
Bilbo spoke, as Frodo returned to his group. He told everyone present about how he found the Ring of Power in a cave, in the possession of a creature called Gollum, and took it with him on his journey to the Lonely Mountain. He spoke of the power it gave him, and it made Edward uncomfortable. He had spent close to none time with hobbits, but he noticed a glim of desire in the man's eyes, and it freaked the alchemist out. Frodo seemed to have noticed it as well, but other than him and Gandalf, no one but Edward seemed to have seen it. Or they had chosen to ignore it, for whatever reason.  
Boromir had a silent exchange with Strider, known as Aragorn from now on, which was completely missed by Ed. They had agreed to something and decided to let the case - whatever it was - rest, for now. After Bilbo was done, Frodo told his story, which was considerably shorter. Gandalf then began about the Ring in general, and how he had proven it to be the real one. He had thrown it in the fire, which had made text appear on it.  
Edward closed his eyes as he spoke: " _Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul_."  
Gandalf looked at him and nodded shortly, even though Ed wouldn't have been able to see it. He opened his eyes again. "Roughly translated it means: "One Ring to rule them all, One ring to find them; One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."  
Elrond nodded. "I believe an introduction is in order," he spoke, as he looked towards the alchemist.  
"Sure, can't have paranoid Dwarves kill me now, can we?" Edward grinned towards Gimli, who had stiffened after hearing the Black Speech. "My name is Edward Elric, I'm a Man born in the land of Mordor, ruled by the Lord of Earth, Sauron."  
"And why are you here, Man of Darkness." An Elf from Mirkwood spoke, ever polite, considering the hostile air now residing amidst them.  
"I'm here because the Wizard asked me to, and Elrond, as well. I, as is likely, know more than all of you about Mordor and its lord," Ed said, growing uncomfortable under the stares he was receiving. "I am also familiar with the growing advancement of science on their side."  
"We are confident he can be trusted." Elrond continued. "His father and I have had a history, and Edward has helped Gandalf more than once in the past. Do not fear, we are amongst friends."  
Aragorn turned towards the alchemist. "Could we have a talk later, Master Elric?" Ed shrugged, a tad bit interested, but not enough for it to really grab his attention. "Fine by me. Call me Ed, though."  
After that short exchange, Gandalf proceeded to tell his part. He told how he went to the order of Wizards and how Saruman the White had advised against acting upon the growing power of Sauron. When the Wizards finally had come around to fight against the dark forces of Mordor, Sauron had already fled away from Mirkwood back to Mordor. It was then that Gandalf decided to go and find the alchemist, to question the situation in the East.  
"It had indeed changed," Ed said in his place. "There have been more brigades for the army than ever. Still low enough in number to go unnoticed, but large enough for us to know that the Lord was planning something." Gandalf continued. He told the council how he had found Edward. The Wizard did not, however, mention Alphonse Elric, the younger brother of the alchemist, or their mother. "I have known the father of Edward Elric for many, many years." He did say, and that was enough, it seemed. Edward huffed. The amount of trust they placed in that old man was astonishing. "I decided to bring him with me, and searched for Gollum. This creature was the previous barer of the Ring and I needed to check whether or not he still had it. We failed, regrettably. After that, we went to the ancient catacombs of Minas Tirith, where we found a description of the Ring, written by Isildur himself. This confirmed what Edward was told as a child about the artefact."  
Edward nodded once. "The One Ring is the most important symbol of the power of the Lord of the Earth. It was always described to us in detail."  
Aragorn spoke up. "I would like to say that, where you unfortunately failed, I did succeed in finding the creature Gollum. But he soon disappeared after I had spotted him and I never saw him again after that."  
"It must have been from him that Sauron learned of Bilbo and the Shire…" Gandalf said, thoughtfully. Legolas, the Elven Prince from Mirkwood, stood up. "You are indeed correct to assume such, Gandalf the Grey. Gollum did escape our dungeon with the help of an army of Orcs."  
Gandalf and Edward shared a look, but neither spoke. Gandalf continued: "Nevertheless, after leaving Minas Tirith we travelled to Orthanc, the tower of Saruman. I had the feeling something was going to go wrong, and before we arrived I sent Edward to Gwaihir, the Great Eagle to converse with them. As I had expected, the inevitable happened. We had been betrayed by one so terribly close to us as a friend, Saruman himself. I was overpowered and trapped in the great white tower, where I was tortured by the corrupted man, so that I would join him in his mad quest. It would surely have been my downfall, however, sending Edward away had been my salvation. This young man also began to suspect, and before leaving for Rivendell requested of the Eagles to come to my aid, which saved my life." The old man turned to the alchemist. "Once again, accept my most sincere gratitude."  
Edward blushed deeply from the sudden attention he had gotten, not only from Gandalf, but from everyone in the meeting. They all were very grateful for his actions, and their earlier suspicions began to falter, maybe a bit. "O-of course, old man. Don't mention it."  
The wizard chuckled.  
"Still," Edward continued, losing most of his blush as he turned to the rest of those present with a serious expression. "The forces of Isengard will now be against us. Surely, the White Wizard will be able to perform remarkable deeds that will be able to strike us considerably. We must be warry." Everyone got a grim expression, knowing just what would be in store for them.  
Gandalf then finished his tale: "Gwaihir took me to the proud horsemen of Rohan. I met Shadowfax there, the swiftest of all horses, and he carried me all the way back to the Shire. I was too late, however, to meet with Aragorn and the Hobbits at Bree, so I took their route to Rivendell and came across the Weathertop. There, I was ambushed by the Nazgûl, where I battled them. I continued my journey to Rivendell, hoping to draw some of the Nine away from my friends. The rest, is known by you all."  
A moment of silence was soon to be interrupted by the young alchemist, who grew tired at this point. "The past is the past, what we must decide now is the future. What will we do?"  
Elrond nodded. "I would like to suggest giving the Ring to Tom Bombadil. I have reasons to be convinced that the artefact will have no power over him."  
"That would be true," said Gandalf. "But we cannot do that. It would be him alone against the forces of Sauron. Tom Bombadil is great, but he will not be able to defeat all of the powers of the Dark Lord of Mordor. It would only postpone the inevitable."  
Boromir responded. "Why can we not use the immense power it holds? We can utilise it to conquer Mordor and defeat Sauron once and for all."  
"No," Elrond said. "The Ring is the essence of Sauron himself, it is irrevocably evil. All deeds with it as a means will turn evil, no matter the intention. Am I right, master Elric?"  
Edward twitched at the name. "Yes." He looked at Borormir directly. "It cannot be used by anyone but the Lord of the Earth."  
Glóin, the great Dwarf, suggested that the Elves could use their Three Rings to fight back the power of Sauron, but Elrond again disagreed. "The Rings will fail. The One Ring was created for the very purpose of controlling all those others."  
Erestor shook his head. "It has become clear to me what it is you wish to do, but it is despair and folly to go into Mordor, just to look for the fire from whence the Ring came."  
"Despair is only for those who have no hope, which we have. Despair is not a possibility," Gandalf spoke. "As for folly, you are right. But it may be our only chance. Sauron, though wise as he is, only things in measurements of power. The idea of us trying to destroy something as powerful as his creation and pass up its strength would not occur to him."  
"Gandalf is right," Elrond said. "In this battle of wits, it will just as likely that the weak will win as much as the strong will. It is more than only once in a while that the weak make a tremendous change in the world while the Eyes of the great are elsewhere."  
"Then obviously I will have to take the Ring to Mordor," the old Biblo said, sounding too cheerful for Edward's liking, and he was not one of only a few who caught on this time.  
"No," said Gandalf simply. A heavy silence fell down after that single word, everyone knowing just what it implied, but no one daring to say it out loud.  
"Then," came the soft voice of Frodo Baggins. "It will be me, will it not?" He took a small breath and turned to Elrond with a determined look in his eyes. "I will bare it… though I do not know the way."  
Elrond looked the hobbit in his eyes for a while. "Yes," he then eventually said. "Yes it will be you. It will be a heavy burden, but it appears as though you are destined for it."  
Frodo nodded solemnly. Out of a dark corner, it seemed, Sam jumped up and ran to stand beside his master. "I will go along with him," he demanded, sounding more sure of his case than the council was.  
Edward recognized the hobbit as the one he had ran into. He remembered their conversation and Sam's dedication towards Frodo. He smiled, accepting this turn of events silently. Elrond accepted that Sam would join Frodo on the journey as well, and Frodo, whilst looking worried, gave a thankful smile to his gardener.

"Ed, could we speak now, perhaps?" It was Aragorn, who had his hand lightly on the alchemist's shoulder to stop the younger man to leave immediately after the council had ended.  
"Ah, right," Edward said. "I'm sorry, it completely slipped my mind." Aragorn had a short glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he nodded in understanding.  
"Then, let us sit down somewhere private and comfortable."  
Edward allowed himself to be guided by the mysterious man to, completely by accident, the exact same spot he and the Half-Elf Elrond usually meet. The quick thought of it being a twisted sign of fate entered Ed's mind, but he immediately pushed it away. He was not the superstitious type. They sat down and let a short silence fall between them, to get accustomed to their surroundings and each other's presence. Aragorn looked at him.  
"I must apologize for being like this, questioning you right after our meeting. Gandalf has taken away all my suspicious of you, he is not an easy man to fool."  
"I appreciate that and all," Ed growled. "But Saruman did succeed in fooling us all, even Gandalf. I wouldn't let other's experiences influence my own thinking, if I were you. After all, you appear to be some big shot around here, you should start planning ahead if that is the case."  
"It would seem, that you truly are not yet a man. Do not glare at me like that, you know it to be true. You speak of things I have long but thought of, and with an insolence befitting that of a farmer." Aragorn spoke harshly, but with the best intentions in mind. "I trust Gandalf."  
Edward sighed. "Whatever. As for what you wished to talk about?"  
"Both you and Gandalf speak of alchemy, an art you are a master in, I've heard."  
Edward huffed. "It is in no way an art, Aragorn. It is a science." The young teen stood up and raised his hand. Clapping them together, resulting a metallic sound echoing through the early evening. He lowered himself to the ground and touched the rough stone with his palms. The blue light of the alchemistic reaction surprised Aragorn enough to reflectively move away from Edward. The light disappeared and Edward stood straight once more. On the ground, a horrifying beast was formed from the rock with incredible details. Edward hummed approvingly.  
Aragorn came closer and looked at the new decoration. He was very impressed, but was slightly worried that the Elves would not appreciate the new addition. "You created this with some kind of magic?"  
"I told you, it's science, not magic." Edward rolled his eyes.  
Aragorn looked troubled. "What more can you create with it?"  
The young alchemist got a passionate glim in his eyes, it made the lone Strider smile a bit, watching the enthusiasm of the boy. "Anything," he said. "No," he quickly added. "Not everything. The science is limited to the amount of knowledge the alchemist has on the material. Then there is the matter of equivalent exchange. You cannot create something of more value than that of the material you are about to transmute."  
"When you say 'knowledge of the material' what is it you mean?"  
"You have to know everything of it!" said Edward, like it was completely obvious. "How it is naturally formed, or artificially for that matter. The exact quantity of the elements that resides in the material, the structure of the atoms and its uses as well. Idem for the material you wish to create. You have to know just how much of it you will need, just how much you can bend it before it would break, and much more."  
"And you understand all this? You can 'transmute' all material in the world."  
"Yes, all non-living material that is." Edward's voice softened a bit.  
"Not living tissue?" Aragorn asked. Edward shook his head. "No," the alchemist said. "Never mind, now I'm just not being honest." He looked the man straight in the eyes. "I can transmute living tissue, with extreme caution. Per example, an alchemist would be able to merge multiple animals into one. Theoretically, I can do it. Morally, though…?"  
Aragorn nearly sighed at that. "I am glad to hear. I'll be honest as well, I began to grow worried at the fought."  
Edward didn't react, as if he were in his own world. "It's impossible, Aragorn. Don't transmute living tissue into something you cannot create. It will go wrong, horribly wrong. It's taboo for a reason."  
"It's taboo in Mordor?" asked Aragorn, genuinely shocked there were in any way laws concerning morality or the higher motive. Edward nearly chuckled, but considering the topic, he deemed it inappropriate. "Yes, that's just how bad the transmutation is. Not even us 'bad guys' what to mess with it."  
Aragorn seemed slightly amused. "For once, I am glad our 'good guy' feels the same way our enemies do."  
Edward shot him a grateful smile, but his eyes carried a pained sight. Aragorn choose to not mention it, this time. But Strider, he would not forget this seemingly insignificant moment. "Are… all inhabitants able to use alchemy?"  
Edward almost appeared offended. "No way. Those Orcs are too clumsy and impatient. They would not have the patient to study this subject long enough for them to understand. I never even wanted to try it, teach them, that is. They would completely rip all my books to shreds. I hate teaching in general, though."  
"Would Elves be able to learn it?"  
Edward shrugged. "Theoretically? Yes. But from what I know, Elves have this sense of disapproval towards changing the world from the way it was meant to be, some back in Mordor are like that too. If they got over that, however, they'd be able to. Though I reckon it's rather difficult for them to look at these things from the perspective of numbers and measurements only, instead of thought or philosophy. No, alchemy is a science of Man."  
Edward shivered.  
"What were you to the armies of Mordor?" came the emotionless follow-up question of the Heir of Isildur. The alchemist's eyes widened in surprise, temporarily shocked to an extend he had no idea what he would have to say. What kind of question was it anyway?  
"Me?" Ed eventually spoke. "The armies of Mordor?"  
"Yes. You. Sauron does not keep unnecessary weight in his country, in what way were you and your alchemy useful to him?"  
Edward furrowed his brows. "How much I wish I could deny it, lying would get me back later, won't it?" Without waiting for an answer Ed looked at the sky, that started to turn considerably darker by the minute. He moved his hair with his hand, his metal hand, still hidden by his glove. "I am an alchemist, Aragorn. People like me get invited for the military the moment we are found. My work involves overseeing the scientific development and enhancements for the army."  
"You got forced."  
"I volunteered." Ed looked Aragorn straight in the eyes. "I wanted the position, make no mistake."  
If Aragorn was disturbed, he did not show it. "Why?"  
"An alchemist in the military gets rewarded many benefits. We are privy to the most advanced alchemical resources, including exclusive access to the best research materials as well as state-of-the-art government laboratories, and are given a sizeable research grant each year which we can put to any purpose we wish to. We also get an automatic military officer rank equivalent to that of a Major, along with all its authority and influences." When Aragorn looked slightly confused, Edward added: "We have different ranks in our system, separately from the Orcs in our armies. We hold authority over them. Going over all ranks will be a bore, I can assure you. Not even I bothered to truly study it all."  
The man closed his eyes and let out a bit of air for a long breath. "You did it for the benefits? Truly just for that."  
Edward rested his head against the old tree. "Yeah, just for the benefits."  
Aragorn looked away. "I do not believe you. Men are arrogant and greedy by nature, but you do not seem like that. I do not know-"  
"Then do not make any assumptions, Aragorn, or Strider, however you wish to be called now, anyway." Edward interrupted him, slightly angry. "I wanted what was in front of me, and I took it." He made a fist with his metal hand. The man looked disappointed by his reaction, but not convinced. He apologized for his rudeness and excused himself before leaving.  
Edward now looked at the dark sky. "Just you wait, little brother. I will fulfil my promise, no matter what or who comes in my way." He looked down, determination flickering in his eyes.

The following day, nothing much had changed in the city other than that the air around everyone felt heavier. Edward left his room late in the morning and went for a walk short walk, and said his goodbyes to some of the Elves be had begun to like. He quickly found Gandalf, calmly nursing his pipe as he blew out smoke in all kinds of curious shapes.  
"You'll damage your lungs." The young man said as he approached the elderly man. Ed deemedit to be appropriate to immediately ruin the wizard's mood this early in the day. Of course, it was not meant to be.  
"Hello there," Gandalf greeted, cheerful as ever. "I was about to come and get you. Elrond wishes to speak with you soon."  
"Couldn't he get me?" Ed snickered at the thought of Elrond just being too lazy and saw him laying down in the middle of the road, just thinking about life.  
"It would appear he is busy preparing for the upcoming journey, as was I, mind you. And so were you? It is why you are late, is it not?"  
Edward nodded. "I packed all my stuff." The alchemist was leaving. Not for a foolish quest to destroy the One Ring, but back to his home in Mordor. He would probably be stationed back in Central, where he worked for a Colonel in charge there. Edward never meant to get involved in this war, he didn't have to. Sure, he did help this time, but only because he owed Gandalf. The alchemist would not risk being caught up in something like this, he had other things he worried about. Though he did regret having to return to the Bastard.  
"Hmm," said Gandalf, as he took another puff. "Elrond is where we held the meeting along with the Fellowship yesterday. Today, I will be joining you once more."  
Ed waited for the old man to slowly stand up and walked with him. "Fellowship?" he asked. "What kind of name is that?"  
"It is the name of how we call those going on the journey to save our existence. They will follow Frodo and Samwise and help them reach mount Doom."  
"Oh, really?" Ed said, truly not that interested. Gandalf knew that, or guessed it somehow, and didn't respond. They continued walking in silence until they reached their destination. During the walk, Edward began to feel anxious. He wanted to leave already. Alphonse had been waiting for far too long for his elder brother to return. The alchemist had not told his brother where he would have been going with Gandalf, fearfull of the guards of Mordor who would not be able to force the knowlegde out of Alphonse's mind, but it would harm the younger alchemist. That was something Ed could not allow to happen. After all, just like Ed himself, Alphonse wasn't the greatest liar. Like this, the Orcs would not be alarmed by the suspicious behavior Alphonse would have been bound to show.  
"Edward, thank you for coming." Edward was shocked out of his trance and shrugged at Elrond's words when he finally noticed the Half-Elf, choosing not to respond. No one beside the three of them were there yet and the Master of Rivendell looked tense for some reason. Ed felt the temperature on the place drop.  
"I have sent out scouts to determine the movements of our Enemy, but I only have gotten disturbing reports in return so far." Elrond spoke as he unconciously got a bit closer to the two listeners. "I fear for the Fellowship's safety. Mordor seems prepared for potential movements of ours. I fear their weaponry skills have risen due to their new-found alchemists."  
Edward nodded. "Probably. Their weapons are stronger without a doubt. I will leave my notes here on the research that we have done on new material. Perhaps you can even enhance mithril with Gandalf's help, if you Elves get over your fear of angering nature. In Mordor we have no access to it, I suggest you use it to your advantage. Of course, you must be wary of the alchemists themselves as well, their own strengths mustn't be underestimated. I have also left notes for that, do not worry."  
Elrond looked troubled nonetheless. "I am afraid your notes alone will no longer suffice."  
The alchemist caught on where the conversation was going and frowned. "I understand your problems," he began. "I truly do, but I cannot help any further. We had agreed to this. My brother will be in grave danger and I must return before the higher officers realize that this is too long of a time to be on a simple research-trip."  
Elrond bended before the young man. "I am not one to break my promises, but I ask you to do so. Please... Ed. The situation has changed. It is far more serious than we could have imagined at first. We need your expertise. Please, Ed. Go with the Fellowship."  
Ed's eyes hardened. "No. We had a deal, Elrond, you too, Gandalf. I did my part."  
"Your home will also be struck by this, Ed, we must all do our parts to save ourselves."  
The alchemist turned to Gandalf in a sharp movement with his head. "Only more reason for me to go back." He sighed. "Listen, I might talk my brother into joining you guys. We will both betray our friends, how about that then?"  
Elrond shook his head. "It will too noticeable. Ed. We ask this of you due to the high need for it, we are truly sorry."  
Ed once again looked at Elrond, the Half-Elf who he had begun to really respect. The alchemist saw the raw desperation behind the calm. He bowed his head and made fists. "I'm sorry... I cannot leave my brother."  
Gandalf and the Master of Rivendell shared a look, just before the former grabbed a hold of the young man and made sure he couldn't move. Ed was too shocked to fight back at first. What was going on? Elrond spoke words that would forever seal the fate of the alchemist, as Ed's eyes widened in dread and despair. " _Bragol band, gwaem Orodruin._ "  
Edward felt how the spell of the Half-Elf began to take effect on him, like needles piercing right through his skin, moving under the fragile barrier between his insides and the exterior environment. Like centipedes were crawling over his muscles, behind his eyes and inside his ears. The alchemist trashed and screamed in both physical and mental agony, as the wizard held him down with a sorrowful look on his elderly face. Elrond obviously looked horrified by his own actions, but for the sake of this world, for his people, _for his daughter_ , he couldn't stop this and he continued to formulate the spell that would force Edward Elric to join the Fellowship, protect Frodo, the Ring-Barer, and make sure their mission succeeded. The spell took several minutes to finish and had cost Gandalf severe enough bruises and cuts from the metal arm and leg that he bound the young man to the ground with his own magic.  
Ed was a mess after all the effects had taken their toll on him. He was crying as he understood what the spell meant, word for word. " _Leithio nin..._ " he cried out to Gandalf in pure despair, desperate enough to speak in the tongue of the Elves, so hated by the people of Mordor, to beg them for mercy. The wizard released the boy as he looked to the master of Rivendell. " _I dass carnen?_ " he asked softly. Elrond could only nod. Ed dried his tears after a couple of minutes and stood with shaking legs.  
" _Nin gwerianneg_ ," he growled at the two.  
Hatred and hurt cloaked the words in such a way it became a curse for both Elrond and the old Gandalf. The former bowed his head in shame. " _Goheno nin_..." was his only reply. Ed was bound to be with the Fellowship, now, unable to return to his brother in Mordor. He really felt hate, pure hate, for Gandalf and Elrond, who had once proven themselves to be friends of the alchemist and utter sorrow in the knowledge he would maybe never see his younger brother again because of this journey, damned for ruin. 

The rest of the group arrived but an hour later. They consisted out of Frodo, the Ring-Barer, Sam, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, Gandalf himself and… the two other hobbits. They approached the Elven lord and Wizard, as well as the alchemist who stood as far away from them as was possible. The eyes of the young man were bloodshed and a permanent scowl resided on his face. "Who were you again?" Ed bluntly asked the two hobbits, who looked up in utter shock.  
"My name is Meriadoc Brandybuck, at your service."  
"Peregrin Took, at your service."  
Edward shrugged. "Ed Elric," was all he said in reply. Aragorn looked at young man with piercing eyes, convinced something to be wrong. But the alchemist did not return the gaze and began staring at the wall behind the Fellowship.  
Elrond looked a tad bit unsure at the two hobbits who were to join the party, as they seemed to be more fond of fooling around. He remembered, however, how Gandalf had told him that not even an Elf-lord's power would be able to guarantee success on this mission, and that the loyalty of the two hobbits would count for just as much.  
Elrond briefly informed them all of the situation, but left out about Edward's condition, the alchemist never brought it up either.

After they were dismissed, Legolas, the Elf, pulled Ed aside and away from the meeting-ground. His eyes shone in concern. Edward and the Elf had met before the first council in Rivendell, only yesterday, when the Man of Mordor had only been a little(r) boy. The alchemist, despite himself, smirked at the Elf. "So, volunteered to be the representative of the Elves for this quest of yours, did you? My, how noble you are."  
Legolas gave a small scoff. "Why are you with us? Mustn't you return?" The Elf was aware of Edward's homely situation, though not in greater detail, but he knew of the youngest Elric, Alphonse, and was confused that Ed had not left yet, as they had had their farewells just this morning.  
A flash of anger resided in the Man's eyes. "Apparently not, I suppose."  
The Elf, bringing up once again their rumoured superiority of all races in Middle Earth with his actions, leaned forward a bit and asked in a serious voice. "Must I pry?"  
Ed shook his head miserably. "No, I guess you shouldn't."  
Legolas looked at him knowingly, though it was obvious he was not aware of what had aspired before he had come. "Then I will not, but I will watch your back, Ed. Please, do not think of me as an enemy." He spoke as if he had heard everything that had happened, but the alchemist knew that that was not the case. Insight and instinct was what the Elf displayed, nothing more.  
Ed looked away . "I never did. But I might need to reconsider."  
The Elf nodded solemnly. "Then may we begin to understand one another anew during our journey together, Son of the Light."  
Ed grimaced. "You know I dislike that man."  
Legolas snickered. "I am aware." And he walked away. Ed looked at the Elf's back and was grateful to know not everyone in this forsaken place had betrayed him.

The Fellowship gathered at the gate of Rivendell for their departure, two months later, which was way too long of a wait as the alchemist proclaimed every day after their last meeting with Elrond. Aragorn began a conversation with the young man. "I must once again thank you for re-forging the Broken Sword of Isildur."  
Ed smirked. "No biggie," he chirped confidently. "A new master needs a new blade. I never understood the need for tradition. A new sword would have been better, in my opinion. A bigger one," he added with a shimmer of madness in his eyes. Aragorn smiled with Aldúril, the newly forged legacy of Isildur, at his side, obviously disagreeing with the alchemist's statement but amused by Ed's behaviour nonetheless. When they were repairing the sword, he and the Elves were busy trying to stop the boy from making it into a horrendous shape which he tried to recreate it into because he thought it would look 'cool'.  
Gimli just appeared to be grumpy as he stood beside the large horse, which looked even comically larger when next to a Dwarf and Legolas was passively ignoring the irritated glances from him as well. Boromir was enjoying himself as he eyed Frodo, with a short sword, apparently called Sting, by his side, and the enthusiastic hobbits, who were cheerful and optimistic about their journey, but Ed could not help but wonder how soon they would break. Among the large horses, which would not be coming with them for long, the Fellowship was joined by Bill, an old pony that looked like he could carry a massive amount of weight for a very long time. Gandalf stood outside of the gates, under the shadow of a large tree, deep in thought. The company quickly took their leave after their goodbyes, but Ed glanced behind just once more. Elrond looked at him and whispered something, but the alchemist turned around and followed after the Fellowship without responding to the Half-Elf. Ed knew he could not escape the curse that was put upon him, so he had two options. Find someone who _could_ break it, or get this over with as soon as possible. His brows furrowed in determination as he completely ignored Elrond's last words to him.  
" _Goheno nin_..."

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 **A/N:  
Please look at my profile for information about chapter updates.  
**


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